• Advertise
  • Submit a Press Release
  • About Us
NewsBTC
Bitcoin & cryptocurrency news
Crypto.com Logo
  • News
    • Bitcoin
    • Ethereum
    • Cardano
    • Dogecoin
    • Ripple
    • DeFi
    • NFT
    • Sponsored
    • Press Releases
    • Research
  • Analysis
    • Bitcoin (BTC)
    • Ethereum (ETH)
    • Cardano (ADA)
    • Chainlink (LINK)
    • Litecoin (LTC)
    • Tezos (XTZ)
    • Zcash (ZEC)
    • EOS
    • YearnFinance (YFI)
  • Learn
    • Trading Course
  • Directory
    • Crypto Businesses
    • Bitcoin Brokers
    • Casinos
    • Sportsbooks
    • Categories
  • Events
  • Play GamesTry
  • Play Casino GamesTry
  • Play FinanceTry
  • Claim 7 BTCTry
No Result
View All Result
Breaking News: Bitfinex And Crypto Bank OrionX Forged Partnership To Broaden Presence In Latin America
  • News
    • Bitcoin
    • Ethereum
    • Cardano
    • Dogecoin
    • Ripple
    • DeFi
    • NFT
    • Sponsored
    • Press Releases
    • Research
  • Analysis
    • Bitcoin (BTC)
    • Ethereum (ETH)
    • Cardano (ADA)
    • Chainlink (LINK)
    • Litecoin (LTC)
    • Tezos (XTZ)
    • Zcash (ZEC)
    • EOS
    • YearnFinance (YFI)
  • Learn
    • Trading Course
  • Directory
    • Crypto Businesses
    • Bitcoin Brokers
    • Casinos
    • Sportsbooks
    • Categories
  • Events
  • Play GamesTry
  • Play Casino GamesTry
  • Play FinanceTry
  • Claim 7 BTCTry
No Result
View All Result
Bitcoin News
No Result
View All Result
Breaking News: Bitfinex And Crypto Bank OrionX Forged Partnership To Broaden Presence In Latin America

Confusing U.S. Tax Laws Lead to $5 Billion In Unrealized Crypto Losses

Tony "The Bull" by Tony "The Bull"
4 years ago
in Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency Market News
Reading Time: 3 mins read

Last year, the crypto community pointed fingers at tax payers liquidating assets in order to cover inflated tax bills due to the substantial gains realized during the 2017 Bitcoin bull run as among the chief reasons the bear market had begun.

In 2018, however, the inverse happened, and most cryptocurrency investors suffered massive losses as the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies fell by as much as 80-90% in most cases. With tax season rolling around again, investors should be liquidating assets in order to lock in realized losses that can be claimed on an individual’s taxes, offsetting other aspects of the individual’s tax bill, or possibly leading to a return.

However, new data reveals that only 34% of losses American cryptocurrency investors saw in 2018 have been realized, suggesting that most Americans don’t understand crypto-related tax laws, and don’t realize they can claim the losses on their taxes.

Nearly Two-Thirds of American Crypto Losses Could Go Unrealized

According to credit monitoring services company Credit Karma, United States citizens have suffered losses related to their cryptocurrency investments to the tune of $5 billion. However, only about a third of those $5 billion in losses will be realized losses, or roughly $1.7 billion.

When an individual American tax payer invests in a cryptocurrency, a cost basis is established for tax purposes. Selling an asset also triggers a taxable event. How much that asset has appreciated – or in the case of the 2018 bear market that is still currently ongoing, how much that asset has depreciated – at the time it is sold, determines what the individual is responsible for tax-wise. If an asset is never sold, the gains or losses are only paper gains and losses, meaning they cannot be claimed on an individual’s taxes, but may still be reflected in one’s portfolio.

Related Reading | U.S. Lawmakers Ask IRS for Clarity on Crypto Tax Laws

The data suggests that either Americans don’t understand that assets must be sold to trigger the taxable event and lock in unrealized losses that can be claimed on their taxes, or the HODL mentality has made it so they simply won’t sell their assets for any reason – not even to lock in unrealized losses for tax reasons.

Credit Karma general manager Jagjit Chawla says it’s the former.

“Even though those who sold their bitcoin at a loss can typically claim a tax deduction we found that before taking our survey, 61% of respondents who lost money on bitcoin didn’t actually realize they could get a tax deduction for bitcoin losses,” he explained.

The survey revealed that respondents were confused in general, with more than half believing their losses were too small to make an impact, while others didn’t even know they were required to file their cryptocurrency losses on their taxes. Not doing so could lead to severe penalties. Some claimed they didn’t even know how to file their crypto losses.

U.S. Crypto Tax Law Is Complicated, Varies By Duration of HODL

Complicating things further, in the United States, cryptocurrencies are treated as property and are subject to capital gains tax the same way real estate is. Capital gains tax rates vary by income levels, and are classified as “short-term” and “long-term” depending on how long the asset has been held by the owner. Each classification also has different rates.

Related Reading | Former U.S. Representative Ron Paul Pushes for Crypto Tax Exemption 

Locking in realized cryptocurrency losses could allow war-torn investors to claim up to $3,000 in losses on their tax bills. Losses exceeding $3,000 can be carried over into the following tax year. Investors can also use carried over losses to offset potential tax gains on next year’s tax bill, if the cryptocurrency market eventually turns around and a new bull run begins this year.

When investing in cryptocurrencies, be sure to also speak to a certified public accountant that is well-versed in capital gains tax law, and at least has a familiarity of cryptocurrencies. Given how new the technology and asset class, this may be like finding a needle in a haystack, but considering how important taxes are to any individual, knowing your cryptocurrency taxes are handled properly is worth the extra effort.

Tags: bitcoincryptoirstax lawtaxesunited states
Tweet123Share256ShareSend
Tony "The Bull"

Tony "The Bull"

Tony is the “always-on” Editorial Director and Head of Research at NewsBTC, leading a talented team of writers and editors across several different global time zones. Tony is also the founder of CoinChartist.io – an educational website focused on crypto trading. Partners include Elliott Wave International, TradingView, and more. Tony’s background includes an extensive, award-winning media production career and over fifteen years of publishing operations and management. In the past, Tony has founded several media websites and his content has been read billions of times. Past clients include the BBC, Fidelity, and many others. Tony "The Bull" is a level 3 CMT student (passed level 1 & 2), technical analyst, Bitcoin supporter, and avid speculator. He owns a python named Satoshi. Tony longs for the day when money is separated from the state. Tony is deeply fascinated by core market principles such as Elliott Wave Theory as they tie into mathematics like Fibonacci ratios. Market timing though DeMark indicators, Ichimoku, Gann tools, or Hurst Cycle Theory are also of key interest. Tony provides completely original content driven by exclusive, independent research. For more insights and education from Tony, check out his free TonyTradesBTC Telegram channel. Follow @TonyTheBullBTC on Twitter. You can also follow @CoinChartist_io on Twitter and subscribe on YouTube.

Related Posts

Is XRP About to Surprise Traders and Hit $1 In June? Analysts Pick Best Crypto to Buy Now as Ripple Lawsuit Verdict Approaches Conclusion

Is XRP About to Surprise Traders and Hit $1 In June? Analysts Pick Best Crypto to Buy Now as Ripple Lawsuit Verdict Approaches Conclusion

29 mins ago
Shiba Inu

Shiba Inu (SHIB) Poised For Significant Breakout: Here’s What To Watch Out For

3 hours ago
Best Baccarat Online Casinos – Online Baccarat for Real Money

Best Baccarat Online Casinos – Online Baccarat for Real Money

22 hours ago
Optimism

Bedrock Upgrade: How Optimism Game-Changer Could Impact OP Price

1 day ago
XR[

XRP Climbs 12% As Crypto Celebrates 11-Year Milestone

2 days ago
ARB

Whale’s ARB Accumulation Rekindles Momentum For DeFi Token – Here’s Why

2 days ago

Premium Partners

Play Finance

Now Trending

  • Potential 20x+ Crypto Presales 2023

    4 days ago
  • Willing to buy new crypto: Here are the best 10...

    5 days ago
  • Best Crypto Meme Coin Presales in 2023

    5 days ago

Top Casinos

BitStarz

BitStarz

Review · Visit
Punt Casino

Punt Casino

Review · Visit
Trust Dice

Trust Dice

Review · Visit
mBit

mBit

Review · Visit

Sportsbooks

1xBit

1xBit

Review · Visit

Press Releases

  • Veteran Traders Are Thinking Beyond BTC and ETH to Navigate...

    13 mins ago
  • Sphere Financial Inc: Transforming the World of Finance...

    13 hours ago
  • As Pepe (PEPE) Hype Becomes History, DigiToads (TOADS)...

    17 hours ago
  • InQubeta (QUBE) Could Overtake Aave (AAVE) in Market Cap...

    17 hours ago
  • AI Analytics: SingularityNET, Ripple, and The Sandbox Top...

    18 hours ago

About Us

NewsBTC is a cryptocurrency news service that covers bitcoin news today, technical analysis & forecasts for bitcoin price and other altcoins. Here at NewsBTC, we are dedicated to enlightening everyone about bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

We cover BTC news related to bitcoin exchanges, bitcoin mining and price forecasts for various cryptocurrencies.

Cryptocurrency news

  • Bitcoin
  • Ethereum
  • Ripple
  • Chainlink
  • Cardano
  • EOS
  • Tezos

Technical Analysis

  • Bitcoin (BTC)
  • Ethereum (ETH)
  • Ripple (XRP)
  • Chainlink (LINK)
  • Cardano (ADA)
  • Tezos (XTZ)

Company

  • Advertising
  • Comments Policy
  • Privacy Center
  • Sitemap
  • About Us
  • Contact

© 2023 NewsBTC. All Rights Reserved.

  • News
    • Bitcoin
    • Ethereum
    • Cardano
    • Dogecoin
    • Ripple
    • DeFi
    • NFT
    • Sponsored
    • Press Releases
    • Research
  • Analysis
    • Bitcoin (BTC)
    • Ethereum (ETH)
    • Cardano (ADA)
    • Chainlink (LINK)
    • Litecoin (LTC)
    • Tezos (XTZ)
    • Zcash (ZEC)
    • EOS
    • YearnFinance (YFI)
  • Learn
    • Trading Course
  • Directory
    • Crypto Businesses
    • Bitcoin Brokers
    • Casinos
    • Sportsbooks
    • Categories
  • Events
  • Play Games
  • Play Casino Games
  • Play Finance
  • Claim 7 BTC

© 2023 NewsBTC. All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy Center or Cookie Policy.